Precocious Paper Blog Hop

Hey there!

I am so excited to be a part of Tessa's 30th birthday blog hop sponsored by her Etsy shop Precocious Paper!!!!   Tessa is an amazing person and an awesome artist and I'm so honored to celebrate her birthday with her. 

Ah, to be 30 again.  LOL!

Twenty designers (I can't believe I'm included among these artists!) are helping Tessa celebrate her birthday with some awesome projects featuring a variety of Precocious Paper goodies. 

Truly my favorites!!!

You can join in on all the fun by starting at Tessa's blog here.  If you've been hopping along and just arrived here from Julie's blog, you're in the right place!

I was lucky enough to be a member of Tessa's inaugural Precocious Paper Design Team and I can honestly say Precocious Paper flowers and embellishements are TRULY my favorites to work with.  So, when Tessa asked if I'd like to help her celebrate her birthday I jumped at the chance for an opportunity to showcase Tessa's beautiful flowers.  Anytime and anywhere I can!!  For the hop, I have a couple of projects to share with you.

Supplies Cardstock: The Paper Company; Flower: Precocious Paper; Glitter Mist: Maya Road; Markers: Copic; Pen: Faber-Castell; Mask: The Crafter's Workshop; Other: Thread

This layout features a beautiful fabric and felt Lollipop Flower.  The PP Lollipop Flowers are so beautiful and HUGE!  This one is about two inches across!!!  I love the ones in this sampler.

Supplies Flowers: Precocious Paper; Tape: Advantus; Stamps: Rubbernecker, Stampin Up; Ink: Tsukineko; Acrylic Ink: Liquitex; Pens: Faber-Castell, Sakura; Gel Medium: Golden; Other: Chipboard, gesso, newspaper, rub-ons 

This piece features Felt Roses in my favorite (and Tessa's!) color combination, red, turquoise and white.  I'm in awe of these little goodies - they're so tightly rolled with row upon row of petals.  Check out the ones Tessa's has in her shop right now: these, these and these.   

Would you like some Precocious Paper goodies to work with?

Tessa has added many new things to her shop as part of the celebration, so be sure to stop by and take a peek. If you use this code during check out - HMBBHFREE - you will receive free shipping and a free thank you gift. (International orders, $5 minimum please. No minimum on US orders.) This code is good through September 5th!


Would you like to WIN some Precocious Paper goodies? 

If you complete the entire hop, leaving a comment on every designer’s post, you will be entered to win the grand prize – the September, October, November and December Samplers! That’s a $54.00 value and dozens upon dozens of hand-crafted scrapbooking embellishments.

Follow Tessa’s blog to be entered to win a $20.00 credit to the shop.

Follow Precocious Paper on Facebook, you could win another $20.00 credit.

Tessa is also giving away surprise credits to blog hop participants, so be sure to leave a comment on this post!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! 

Next stop on the Precocious Paper bloghop: Jan Tatomir!

Happy Birthday, Tessa!!!!!!

♥Heidi

Celebrate the Season

Supplies Cardstock: Coredinations; Patterned Paper: Advantus, American Crafts, Jillibean Soup, My Little Shoebox, Pebbles Inc.; Felt Spots: Precocious Paper; Ribbon: Prima Marketing; Stickers: SRM Stickers; Stamp: Autumn Leaves; Ink: Ranger Industries, Tsukineko; Pen: Sharpie; Glitter: Stampin' Up!; Punches: EK Success, Marvy, McGill; Adhesive Sheet: Therm-O-Web; Other: thread

So, how's spring treating you?  Ours looked like it was going to start out with a bang with temperatures 15+ degrees warmer than normal.  But then it rained on Monday and brought the temps back down into the normal range (about 75 for this time of year) but they're trying to climb again.  It's forcasted at 83 this weekend.  Ugh. 

I had a bit of fun with this layout, cutting up lots of different favorite patterned papers (with a couple of Precocious Paper Sweet Spots and some awesome SRM stickers thrown in there for good measure). 

I gave the picture a "burnished velvet" treatment.  If you like it you can check out my step-by-step tutorial for it in the April Scrapbook News and Review magazine next month. 

This layout is based on the sketch I made for this week's Sketchy Thursdays challenge:

I got my inspiration for this from the way my son's school newsletters are formatted.  LOL!  See, you just never know when inspiration will strike!

Be sure to check out what the Sketchy Thursdays DT made for your inspiration with this sketch this week.  As usual, great stuff!  This week's sponsor, Addicted to Scrapbooking, is giving our lucky random winner a $25 gift certificate!  Just link your layout up to Mr. Linky in the ST sidebar by 10pm EST next Wednesday 3/30 for your chance to win!  Seriously, have you been to the Addicted to Scrapbooking site????  It's awesome!  They have TONS of stufff!!!  (I believe the official estimation is over 35,000 products!!!!)   I have a wish list there a mile long! 

Ooh!  Did you see we announced the April - October Sketchy Thursdays Design Team line up?  I can't wait to play along with this amazing group of talent.  I'll be seriously missing our departing DT members, too.  :-(

Have a great weekend!!

♥Heidi

Life is Good

This is a bittersweet post for me.  I've got two Precocious Paper projects to share which I LOVE but sadly, these are my last PP projects as a member of her DT.  I'm so bummed to be saying goodbye to my DT term.  :o(  It has been an honor and great fun!!!  I will definitley continue to include PP products on my projects, of course, as they're definitely some of my favorite flowers out there!

Supplies Cardstock: Stampin' Up!; Patterned Paper: 7Gypsies, My Minds Eye; Brads: My Minds Eye; Chipboard: Colorbok; Flowers: Precocious Paper; Sticker: SRM Stickers; Pen: Zig

I absolutely love the Precocious Paper Rolled Fabric Flowers.  They come in two sizes and are just so elegant.  Here I topped a trio of smaller ones with some pretty patterned brads. 

Something I discovered about the ivory rolled fabric flowers (which I'm sure also goes for the white and any of the lighter colored ones) is they accept glitter mist beautifully!

I wasn't sure it was going to work...I trepidatiously sprayed this one thinking if I screwed it up I was going to be seriously bummed since I only had 2 to work with.  I thought maybe, since the fabric was so shimmery and slick-looking that the mist might just bead up on it or unevenly soak in.  Very happily the fabric accepted the mist perfectly. 

When I set out to make this next piece I dove into it with just this gorgeous misted flower and a poem composed by my 5-year-old daughter for inspiration.  Let me tell you, those were some amazing inspiration as I am so proud of this piece.

Supplies Flower: Precocious Paper; Ribbon: Michaels; Tape: Advantus; Stamp: Delish Designs; Ink: Ranger Industries, Tsukineko; Paint: Delta, Making Memories, Plaid; Glitter Glue: Ranger Industries; Ink Mist: Maya Road, Tattered Angels, Tsukineko; Pen: Sharpie; Charcoal Pencil: General's; Oil Pastels: Pentel; Tool: Stampin' Up!; Poem: "The Flower Grows and Grows" by Kinsey Myers; Other: chipboard, drywall tape, staples

The thing I think I'm most impressed with myself on this is that the mix of paints I used on her eyes is almost exactly the color of my daughter's eyes!  I call her "Rootbeer Eyes" because their color reminds me of a backlit rootbeer barrel candy. 

It's so hard to photograph anything shimmery.  This picture doesn't do the flower or the metallic, shimmery copper color in her hair or eyes justice. 
So, one day last month on the way to school my daughter recited a poem for me.  I asked if she'd learned it in school.  She said no, she'd just made it up.  And then she kept reciting it over and over.  She even said it for her class.  Of course, I had to write it down and I've been planning to commemorate it on a layout ever since.  Today, instead, a painting seemed more in order.

The poem begins in the middle of the flower, sprials out of it and down the stem with the "composed by" and the date sprialling through the leaf. 

I put in a seed

It started to grow

It grew a flower

On top of its nose

It started to smile

Full of glee

Happily

Isn't that adorable??!!!!!   My budding poet!  I love the way every line didn't have to have the same number of syllables. 

To finish off the page I attempted to make an interpretive sun out of spiraled misted Tim Holtz tissue tape and clouds of drywall tape. 

The butterfly is cut out of some spring-themed ribbon. 

I hope you enjoy this as much as I loved making it.  I don't paint often and don't consider myself a painter by any stretch of the imagination but I really had a great time doing this piece.  I guess I just need awesome inspiration first.  Now I've just got to find a frame for it and it's going to go live in my daughter's room. 

Be sure to check out the Precocious Paper blog for lots more yummy, flowery inspiration from her talented DT.   I can't wait to see who will be on the next team.

Hopefully you guys are cooler than we are this week.  It got up to 91 yesterday.  (Not sure what today was but it felt even worse.)  If it were May, or even April, I would've given in and clicked on that A/C so fast but there's something about it being only March that I refuse to on principle.  Even for here that's 15 degrees warmer than normal.  It's supposed to go back to the "normal" range next week.  I'll believe it when I feel it. 

♥Heidi

I Love You This Much

Originally published in Scrapbook News and Review January 2011

I love everything about this layout.

First and foremost I love the picture. 

I love the pinks and reds and chocolate browns. 

I love the block format.

I love all the texture - the glitter and foiled papers, a yummy Precocious Paper satin bridal bloom (my faves!), the crepe paper pleat, the stitching, the metal gromlets, the ruffly ribbon.

And I love the heart punched border.

This layout has hung in my family room since the day I made it. 

****

A few announcements:

Sketchy Thursdays is holding a Design Team call for our April - September term.  All crafters - traditional, digi, and cardmakers - are encouraged to apply.  See this post for details.

Precocious Paper is hold a DT call for the April - September term.  See this post for details.  I will GREATLY miss being on this amazing team and have been honored to be on her inaugural DT. 

Want to get published?  See here for the calls for the April issue of Scrapbook News and Review.  The call is open through March 12.

Sunshine In My Soul

Today I'm going to showcase a couple of projects I made with some Precocious Paper Sweet Spots.  The color scheme of these is Sunshine In My Soul. 

The colors are so yummy - sunshine yellows and sky blues with a few adorable butterflies thrown in for good measure.  The bases are felt with various embellies such as buttons, pearl brads, flowers and awesome punched shapes. 

Supplies Cardstock: The Paper Company; Felt Embellies: Precocious Paper; Ribbon: Stampin' Up!; Stickers: My Little Shoebox; Stamps: Autumn Leaves, Technique Tuesday; Ink: Clearsnap, Stampin' Up!; Ink Spray: Maya Road; Other: drywall tape, staples

Love this pic of my little man right around his first birthday. 

Supplies Felt Embellies: Precocious Paper; Chipboard Stickers: American Crafts; Rub Ons: Doodlebug Designs Inc.; Other: scalloped card

I'm annoyed by this card.  No matter how I photographed it, lit it, futzed with the settings on my camera or tried to correct it in a photo editing program it shows up blue.  It's a really gorgeous dark teal color.  But the Sweet Spots look adorable nonetheless.  ☺

Check out the Precocious Paper blog for more DT inspiration using the amazing Precocious Paper products. 

Have a great Friday!!

♥Heidi

Happy

Have you heard?  It's Precocious Paper's Etsy anniversary!



If you've never perused the juicy goodness that is the Precocious Paper Etsy store, you really MUST! 

In addition to amazing fabric flowers, Tessa also makes some other awesome embellishments such as the felt stars I used in this layout:

Originally published in Scrapbook News and Review January 2011 issue.

This is one of my favorite pics of the kids.  They dressed themselves alike.  They're even holding similar bears. 

Love all the SRM Stickers I used as the picture frame, too.  Love all the different fonts. 

Hope you're "Happy" today, too.

;o)

♥ Heidi

Over the River...

I really love the red satin bridal bloom by Precocious Paper I used on yesterday's card.  I think it's my favorite color of my favorite flowers made by Precocious Paper. 

I'd based my card on a layout I'd made for the Scrapbook News and Review Holiday Sampler. 

Supplies Patterned Paper: Me and My Big Ideas; Flower: Precocious Paper; Stickers: Pink Paislee; Marker: Stampin' Up!; Pen: Zig; Glitter Glue: Ranger

Seriously, how gorgeous are those bridal blooms?

Check out the Precocious Paper blog for more beautiful flower creations. 

It's been raining here all day.  Normally I love it when it rains because it's usually few and far between but we've had quite a bit of rain in the last couple months.  I'm done with it.  LOL.

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Anticipation

I've still got a few holiday layouts I haven't shared with you so I'm going to start sprinkling them in here and there.

Supplies Cardstock, Patterened Paper, Journaling Block & Ribbon: SEI; Felt Embellie: Precocious Paper; Clip: Making Memories; Stickers: American Crafts; Pen: Zig

Originally published in Scrapbook News and Review Holiday Sampler 2010

I think the picture here is so funny because this is the first year the kids really understood the concept of Christmas Eve presents. (That they were getting a present! LOL!)  The funny part to me is I know how their faces looked after they opened up these presents.  Because, although I want them to have the fun of opening up a Christmas Eve present, I don't want to give away the whole farm, so to speak, the night before the "real" fun. So, the CE presents are cool but not necessarily a toy.  In these presents there are robes.   Granted, they eventually came to love these robes and still wear them to this day but yeah, they weren't so enamored of them that night.  Ha ha ha!

Check out that awesome, gorgeous, enormous felt star on the layout.  That's one of Tessa's Precocious Paper goodies.  I ~heart~ these so much. 

Hope you're having a great weekend. 

We're off to yummy sushi for lunch in a bit - one of the kids' favorite!! 

- Heidi

Precocious Paper February Sampler Sneak Preview

Have you checked out the Precocious Paper shop lately?  Beginning this month Tessa is offering monthly limited edition samplers that are to die for.  They include handmade flowers, many of which are exclusive to the samplers, plus other yummies such as coordinating ribbon on adorable wooden clothes pins. 

The January Sampler includes:

 ♥ 1 Fabric and Felt Flower (3 inches)

♥ 1 Yo-Yo Posy (1.5 inches)

♥ 1 Aqua Lace and Felt Flower (exclusive to sampler, about 3 inches)

♥ 1 Mustard Yellow Lollipop Lace Flower (exclusive to sampler, 2.5 inches)

♥ 1 Classic Ivory Rolled Fabric Flower (3 inches)

♥ 1 Set of Spiral Felt Flowers in Aqua, Ivory, and Mustard Yellow (exclusive to the sampler, ranging in size from 1 - 1.5 inches)

♥ 1 Daffodil Dyed Cardboard Flower (about 3 inches)

♥ 3 Leaves (about 1.5 inches long)

♥ 3 Ribbon Clothespins with a Decorative Stick Pin (set exclusive to sampler, 4 total yards of ribbon)

 Seriously, how cute is that kit??
 
And there are even coordinating journaling spots and additional flowers in the shop! 

I was lucky enough to get to work with the February Sampler, "Sweet On You", which will be available in the Precocious Paper shop 1/25.  Here's a little sneak peek at this adorable kit...
 
 

I love the color scheme of the February kit.  It's all frosting pinks, luscious reds, and cool minty greens, just perfect for layouts about sweet, yummy, pudgy little children. 

My daughter is about 3- or 4-months-old in this picture.  Man, she was a chunky little thing!  She's now a little twig.  People often comment how light she is compared to other children her age (or even younger!).  She takes after her daddy.  :o)

The three flowers and the dotted ribbon are from the February Sampler. 

Here my son is 15-months-old.  I absolutely love this picture and didn't want to detract from it so I went very simple on the layout. 

I think these rolled felt flowers are my favorite ones in the sampler.  They're so sweet, like little flower cupcakes.  They lend just the right amount of height and softness.  The mint ribbon and the heart stick pin are also from the February sampler.

After stitching the edges of the layout, as I was sweeping the thread trimmings off my work surface, I noticed a few of them landed in very cool designs.  Serendipity, I say!  I transferred a couple of them to my layout and glued them on, careful to not change their shapes.  There's the swirl above and the infinity shape below.  

How perfect is that?  An infinity symbol on a layout about how much I love this little guy.  And yes, his eyelashes are that long and luscious and they've gotten even longer as he's gotten older.  (So unfair, on a boy!  LOL!)  Just like his daddy!

Check out the Precocious Paper blog to see some samples today by Suzy using the January Sampler and be sure to check back every Friday for additional samples from the very talented PP DT!  I'm so grateful to Tessa for choosing me to play along with this talented group and her amazing products!!!! 

Thanks for stopping by today!!!

Heidi

Holiday Deco

Wow!  I've been away a while, eh?  'Tis the season.  Lots of things to do, places to go, people to see, things to create (and sicknesses to endure, ugh!). 

I haven't gushed lately how GORGEOUS Precocious Paper's product is.  Here are a couple holiday decorations I made using some of her holiday blooms.

Here I made a Country Christmas Bouquet Fabric and Felt Flower into an ornament by dipping it in UTEE and then sprinkling it with a chunky Christmas glitter blend. 

The Christmas Scroll Fabric and Felt Flowers are the perfect size to top a canning jar!  This is a quick & simple but sweet gift to give a teacher, neighbor, or friend. 

Check out the Precocious Paper Etsy store.  She has lots of gorgeous holiday and everyday flowers and embellishments, as well as some adorable cards and albums.   

And don't forget to drop by the Precocious Paper blog to check out what the DT makes for your inspiration. 

Hope you are all having a delightful and calm holiday season.  I can't believe we are only a few days away from Christmas.  Off to make some yummies for the neighbors!

p.s.  There's still time to play along with this week's Sketchy Thursdays sketch, too.  Don't you just love this one?

I was a bit busy last week and skipped making this one...maybe I'll find a bit of time today.  I really love this sketch!

Precocious Paper Fall Flower Tree Tutorial

Yea!  Finally!!!  The Precocious Paper Fall Flower Tree tutorial!!!

This is a tutorial that was originally included in the Scrapbook News and Review Magazine Halloween newsletters a few weeks back.  Be sure to sign up to receive the SNR newsletters...they're chock full of tips, eye candy, and sometimes tutorials!

Supplies Flowers: Precocious Paper; Paint: Plaid; Styrofoam: FloralCraft; Other: pins, ribbon

This is a fun, easy and versatile idea for a holiday decoration. I say versatile because you can switch out the flower colors and patterns by season if you only temporarily attach the flowers.

Begin by gathering a few supplies:

• Styrofoam cone (9” shown)
• A variety of fabric flowers in various sizes (18 used, from 1” – 3”)
• Paint in a complementary color
• Ribbon in a complementary color/pattern
• Pins

Paint your cone with a color complementary to your flowers. I do this so that if any of the cone ends up showing through after the flowers and ribbon are attached it won’t be so noticeable.

Starting at the bottom of the cone, attach the largest flowers with pins to create the first row, lining up the petals with the bottom of the cone. Overlap the flowers slightly. So that the pins won’t be visible, hide them by inserting into folds of fabric or by lifting topmost petals and inserting through lower petals. For this particular 9” cone, I used five 3” flowers for the bottom row.

 After the bottom row of flowers is attached, wrap coordinating ribbon around the bottom, underneath the flowers, to hide any large gaps. Attach the ribbon with pins also, hiding the pins underneath the flower petals. Repeat by wrapping ribbon just above the flower row, tucking it under the petals and securing with pins.

 Continue alternating rows of flowers and ribbon from the bottom up, overlapping flowers slightly. To finish the tree, attach a small flower to the very top and sprinkle additional smaller flowers throughout, covering up any large gaps.

 I like to use pins to attach the flowers because I can easily readjust the flowers as I go along. And, after the holiday decorations are taken down, I can easily remove the flowers and reuse them on layouts commemorating that holiday. Plus the cone is now ready to be decorated with the next holiday’s flowers.

 If you would rather make a more permanent decoration, simply attach the flowers with glue using a hot glue gun.

 This is such a simple and quick holiday project that it’s a cinch to make several at a time. You can easily create an attractive display with trees of different sizes, colors and patterns.

I am so grateful I get to share what I love doing with all you awesome people out there in bloggy land!!!  Thank you so much for stopping by!!

Wow! Didn't take me long...

I made it, what, five days before falling off the daily gratitude wagon?  LOL. 

Actually, I had a crazy busy weekend with kid activities and then ended up getting sick (again?? really??!!) come Monday.  So I guess I have 5 days worth of gratitude to share now, huh?

OK, here goes, in no particular order...

I am grateful for people who actually like their job and are good at it.  I know that sounds like kinda a weird thing to be grateful for but I've had my share of less-than-perfect kids' birthday parties.  But this past Saturday, for The Girl's 5th birthday party, we went to a local bouncy place and our host "Bear Cat" (I never did get his proper name...I'm assuming it really wasn't Bear Cat) made this the best party ever.  He was loud.  He was crazy.  He engaged and played with the kids.  He was cool with the adults, too.  He generally ROCKED.  Thank you, Bear Cat!

I am grateful for being part of an awesome magazine and forum (Scrapbook News and Review) where I have learned TONS (and learned that I have barely scratched the surface as far as what I know about paper crafting products and techniques).  Seriously, check out the forum.  DAILY you'll find new ideas and techniques and videos.  And people actually participate on the forum so you get lots of info and points of view. 

I am grateful for Puffs Plus tissues.  I don't know how people (my hubby, lol) use the non-lotion kind.  Trust me, I've become quite close with these over the last few days.  Ahhhhh...

I am grateful for my son's piano teacher.  She's also the mom of one of his besties so once the lesson is over, the boys get to play for a while before I pick him up.  She's so awesome.  She makes the lessons fun for him and I think she brings out the best in him. 

I am grateful I learned how to "properly" type back in junior high, I think?  Otherwise it'd take me eons to write all these ridiculously long posts, LOL!  My son's been learning how to type in his computer labs.  I'm not sure if they're really learning how to properly type but if they are, that's awesome!  And in first grade!!!  It's amazing how much they do on the computers already and it'll be great for him to learn now before getting into any bad habits. 

OK, I think that catches me up. 

I know I promised to share the tutorial for the Precocious Paper Fall Flower Tree this past weekend.  I'll shoot for Friday, sound good?

Ain't Fall Grand?

I want to express gratitude to all the wonderful people who have accepted me and my often quirky crafting style onto their design teams. 

Today I'd like to express particular thanks to Tessa of Precocious Paper.  I am so lucky to be a part of her amazing team, getting to work with her gorgeous flowers, and I am especially lucky to have found such a wonderful friend!  My jaw drops at every one of her creations.  The girl just oozes talent and creativity and she just inspires me to no end.  And then to get to actually hold little works of Tessa art in my hands and create with them??!!!  I am soooo lucky!!!!

This particular layout features her Sewing Pattern Petals. 

Supplies Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye; Flowers: Precocious Paper; Stickers: Jenni Bowlin, Colorbok; Chipboard: Bo Bunny; Brads: My Mind's Eye; Twine: EK Success; Stamp: Autumn Leaves; Ink: Tsukineko; Pen: Zig

I wish you could see this layout IRL.  I used the My Mind's Eye flocked paper and it's just gorgeous.  So touchable!!!

This is a picture taken last month during our trip to California.  My husband's grandmother, 95-year-old Grandma Lu Lu, lives just minutes away from Disneyland so we made sure to visit her.  The last time she saw The Girl she was about a month old!!!  I am so happy that the kids have been able to meet some of their great grandparents during their lives. 

Another project I recently made with EIGHTEEN Precocious Paper flowers was a Fall Flower Tree for the Scrapbook News and Review Halloween newsletter.

Supplies Flowers: Precocious Paper; Paint: Plaid; Styrofoam: FloralCraft; Other: pins, ribbon

This bad boy features Black Lace and Felt Flowers,  Orange Bridal Satin Blossoms, Halloween Shimmer Rolled Fabric Flowers, and the Halloween Bouquet of Fabric and Felt Flowers.

If you missed the tutorial on how to make this little cutie in the Scrapbook News and Review newsletter, stay tuned to this blog this weekend for a rerun.  Click HERE to sign up for the SNR newsletters.  They're full of great eye candy and information.  Of course, IMHO you really should subscribe to the magazine, too.  Especially this month!  It's a special double issue with over 500 pieces of artwork, projects, tutorials, and articles!!!!

Be sure to check out the Precocious Paper blog for some additional and very gorgeous inspiration from other members of the DT!!

Hope you have fun plans for the weekend.  Tomorrow is The Girl's birthday party at one of those bouncy places.  I'm liking this having their birthday parties outside the home!!!!

Happy Autumn

A couple weeks ago Scrapbook News and Review ran a 10 day special newsletter campaign with fall tags by 10 artists complete with step-by-step tutorials on how to make the beautiful tags.  In case you happened to miss out on the newsletters, check out the SNR forum to see them.

In the meantime, here's the one I included:

You can better see in this picture that it's a transparent tag.  I was going for a stained-glass look.  I used some Barbie packaging and alcohol inks.

For a step-by-step tutorial on how to make this IMHO gorgeous tag, check out the SNR forum, this post.

See that gorgeous orange flower on there?  It's a Precocious Paper Briday Satin Blossom.  They come 3 to a pack, 1 large with a pretty rhinestone center and 2 smaller ones like the one on the tag. 

And if you like that flower, wait until you see what I did with EIGHTEEN - yes, that's right 18 - Halloween Precocious Paper flowers in a very special week of  daily Halloween newsletters by Scrapbook News and Review that will begin mailing out on the 24th.  I'll even have another tutorial for you.  If you're not already, sign up to receive SNR's newsletters before the 24th to check it out.  You won't be disappointed.  There will be TONS of Halloween eye candy - layouts, cards, inchies, ATCs, special projects, and quite a few tutorials. 

Well, off to Disneyland for the first time in three years.  I'm so excited to see my kids' reactions.  The Boy was just barely 4 and The Girl was a couple weeks shy of 2.  I'm pretty sure they don't remember much and now they're tall enough (and hopefully brave enough) to go on most everything.  We're even Trick-or-Treating with Mickey Friday night!  Can't wait!!!!!!!

Have a great week!!!

p.s.  Don't forget to check out the new challenges up this week:  Pink Ninjas on Wednesday, Sketchy Thursdays on Thursday (go figure) and Scrap That Poetry on Friday!

Precocious Cards

Yea!  My first couple projects for Precocious Paper!!  Every Friday Tessa will be showcasing a few projects from a couple of the DT members.  Be sure to pop over there to check out what Suzy made, also!!

I knew the second I saw these Ecru Botanical Fabric and Felt Flowers in the Precocious Paper Etsy store that I would be pairing them with this yummy super wide striped ribbon.  (I know I am soon going to be kicking myself for not buying more than one roll of this ribbon.  It was a Michael's Halloween edition and they sold out of it fast.) 

A simple card but the flower and ribbon are so larger-than-life that they carry it off easily. 

I also went simple with this birthday card:

And, trust me, the light brown in the animal print ribbon and that in the flower are much closer in color than they look in this picture. 

This is another Fabric and Felt Flower from the Fruit Punch Bouquet.  This particular one is made with Amy Butler fabric.   These Fabric and Felt Flowers are just amazing.  HUGE.  (To give you an idea, the top card is 3x6, the bottom is 4-1/4 x 5.)  And with so many layers - they're just lush.  I'm going to have a really hard time giving away this card but it's going to a good home.  ;o)

This weekend only (thru 10/10/10) you can get 25% off the products featured on the Precocious Paper blog (including these two flower collections I've shown you) in the Precocious Paper Etsy store!!!!  Check out the blog for details.   Awesome!!!!

I can't believe we're looking at a Saturday without any birthday parties, events, or anything formal scheduled.  I'm so excited!!  I feel like it's been forever since we've had one of those beauties. 

Hopefully The Girl is feeling better tomorrow.  She was feverish all day, sleeping quite a bit of it.  Here's a piece of advice, something we all learned today.  If you feel like you need to throw up, don't squash both your hands up to your face like you're going to sneeze.  I'll leave that up to your imagination.  LOL. 

Precocious Paper

I'm so excited!!!!

I made the Precocious Paper DT!!!! 

I just LOVE Tessa's gorgeous flowers.  The girl has skillz!!!!!   Check out the Precocious Paper Etsy Store!! 

And although the DT term doesn't officially start until October, I used a Precocious Paper mini Satin Bridal Bloom on a fall tag I created for a special series running in the Scrapbook News and Review newsletter right now.  It's a series of 10 or so fall-themed tags created by both SNR staffers and a few readers and each will have step-by-step instructions for how to make them.  Mine is in today's newsletter!  Go sign up for the newsletter to see it!!!   Here's a tiny sneaky peek:

Speaking of SNR, the new issue comes out on Sunday.  Have you subscribed?  Every month they pack the issue full of over 400 projects including layouts, cards, ATC, inchies, and other special projects.  That's a steal for under $5 and you're being green and saving room by not having a paper magazine!

Plus, have you seen the newest Sketchy Thursdays sketch?  LOVE it!  I had a whole slew of Disneyland pictures all lined up ready to scrap this sketch but life interfered and I didn't get it done this time around.  I definitely still plan to use this one because it's perfect for the D-land pictures and I'll be sure to share it when I do.

Hope you have some awesome weekend plans.  Tonight my son will be having his first sleepover ever.  I'm nervous.  I'm just glad his first sleepover is at our house.  And tomorrow is his birthday party at a place called Makutu's Island.  This is the first time I've held a birthday party outside of our house and I'm soooo excited!!!!  No clean up!  Woohoo!!!!!

Heidi

Sometimes Ya Gotta Whip Out the Ninja Face

Woohoo!!!!  It's Pink Ninjas Wednesday!!!!!!!

The first prompt for the new DT is #39 "mugshot".

I love playing with the Pink Ninjas because they remind me that I can step outside of my normal persona every once in a while, even if it's only in my mind. 

Faintly stamped underneath the title are my normal faces, the ones I don every day:  maid, chef, chauffeur, teacher, nurse, lifeguard, mediator, tailor, groom, personal shopper, event coordinator, secretary, paparazzi, psychologist, jailor, coach, babysitter.  Sometimes it's nice to know that underneath all that I know that I am a Ninja at heart, LOL!

Check out that ROCKIN' flower!  That's a Precocious Paper original, baby!  

And I've been buggin Ninja Master Ally for some of the cool lace packing tape she uses on all her packages.  Until I get a roll for myself I'm saving all the bits off the packages she sends me, LOL!  You can see a little bit of the yellow shipping envelope underneath the lace.  Ha ha!

Check out what the rest of the NEW Pink Ninja Design Team made for your inspiration!  Truly an amazing group of girlz!!!   And you might notice the return to the "regular" prompt style.  We're just gonna give you an idea and you run with it however you desire.  So, come on!  Play along with us!!!

Heidi

The Cool, The Random, and The Lovely

Some cool things...

I made the Scrapfreak newsletter in the Member Spotlight with THIS layout!!

I got the most AMAZING happy mail from Tessa at Precocious Paper!!!  Just lOOk at this amazingness:

I won this yummy haul from Scrap That Poetry for THIS layout!  I can't WAIT to play with it!  Even the packaging is too stinkin cute!

The random...

We had our own "V" (visitor for those of you who don't watch the show...) yesterday:

A days-old baby duckling in our pool.  No idea how the little bugger got into our pool all by himself because he clearly couldn't fly yet with his stubby little downy wings!  But I soon discovered that he was born in our neighbor's backyard and he has 8 siblings!  It was like a Benny Hill skit trying to capture the little guy.  (Can you hear the music?  Is this reference too old?  LOL)  Did you know eeny-weeny little baby ducks can dive like freakin submarines??!!  And a word of advice...don't try catching one with a pool skimmer.  Too shallow.  They JUMP!  4 times as a matter of fact.  He was finally wrangled, though...

Awwwwwww.... 

And returned to mom...

The lovely...

Another card made with the gorgeous Lawn Fawn Stamps "Sew Lovely" set.  The colorful measuring tapes paper is from the Cosmo Cricket "Material Girl" Mini Deck that I got in the Torendi store. 

We spent the day having fun with the kids.  The boy had another basketball game this morning and he's coming along great!  He is having so much fun!!!  (Did I tell you he made his first basket in a game last week??  ~beaming mom~)  Then we spent the afternoon at a birthday party playing round after round (after round) of mini golf, eating pizza and sno-cones, and getting entirely too much sun again.  Tomorrow we have another jam-packed outdoorsy type of day planned with a trip to a local olive farm where they serve the most amazing food.  Maybe I'll have some pics to share. 

Hope the rest of your weekend is awesome!

Heidi